Local processing of sensor array data using current mode circuitry

Abstract

A sensor array has been developed which performs local processing on sensory data using current mode circuitry. Specifically, a CMOS magnetic field sensor-based circuit which applies the sensor-processor integration idea to robotic tactile sensing is described. The sensors which provide the raw data are split-drain MAGFETs, i.e. large pFETs with two drains. This approach to machine perception solves parallel problems in a parallel format, saving time and connector space. Discrete approximations to spatial convolution operations such as low-pass filtering, edge detection, and so forth are easy to generate in the current mode circuitry domain. Multistage filtering operations involve the same principles as single-stage filtering operations and hence are also straightforward. The current mode domain is a regime in which arithmetic computations on analog data can be performed in proximity to sensor circuitry without using a prohibitive amount of space, and is thus a promising area for work in sensor-processor combination and for sensor data processing in general.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>